Seedling Updates and more

I wanted to update sooner but time has slipped away from me yet again.  Much has happened over the last 2.5 weeks. The seeds we sowed inside have sprouted and look quite nice so far. The weather has improved greatly so we have been able to put the seedling trays outside to harden off (in other words, getting the little guys used to the great outdoors). We have also been moving out the less hardy plants we overwintered inside.  Only during the sunny warm parts of the day though, we have to ease them back into direct sunlight lest they get scorched.  The same goes for the seedlings, we place the seed trays in a somewhat sheltered area outside where they get a little bit of direct sun but not too much. We will do this over the next couple of weeks and put some of the plants outside permanently after that.  I plan on having the broccoli in the ground by the last week of March.

Here are some photos of our "babies"!

Left photo is all the vegetables: tomatoes, eggplants, broccoli etc. Right photo lots of herbs including thyme...

I also started a few little containers of lettuce, radishes, beets and spinach.

We bought a wine box from Jungle Jim's for about $5.00-in it are the beet, spinach and radish seeds.  The trough container has two varieties of lettuce: Rouge d'Hiver, Forellenschuss.  I think we are going to get a few more wine boxes for either vegetables or flowers. I put chicken wire over the containers to keep out the digging critters.
Both containers have potting soil, compost and a little bit of organic fertilizer. (I'm using the term organic loosely here)
I want to touch a little on fertilizer as there are many commercial varieties on the market. We don't use much or very many types-we are trying to use compost, cover crops and crop rotation to nourish the soil but some benefit can come from using a fertilizer.
Here is some advice from Start with the Soil by Grace Gershuny. These are only general examples and there may be some exceptions. We are not experts so I urge everyone to do a little reading on their own to get more information.

• Look at the guaranteed analysis (NPK analysis) Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium. It will tell you the percentage of soluble elements available in the fertilizer
• Choose an NPK rating no higher than 10 for any element. 
• Anything higher than 10 are probably standard chemical fertilizers that use: urea, monoammonium phosphate, muriate of potash
• Some bags of fertilizer will not have ingredients so understanding the NPK analysis is helpful

In addition to getting the vegetables ready, we've had some blooming flowers emerge!

Purple Crocus and Yellow Daffodils are some classics. Here the crocus are nestled next to our lemon thyme.

 Blooming Witch Hazel

We bought a blooming hellebore plant last week. We need to get it in another container but I wanted to get some photos before it stopped blooming. So pretty!

We are going to start constructing some raised beds very soon, so I will be updating that as we progress. I'm so glad spring it here!

Seed Starting Part II

The actual seed starting has begun!  We have several varieties of peppers and tomatoes, eggplant and a Romanesco Broccoli. We also started many many herbs.

If you are new to growing plants from seed here is how we do it.


First you will need a place that is dedicated specifically to seed starting. Here is our set up from last year.

We have hung fluorescent shop lights from our basement drop ceiling and outfitted the units with 40 watt 2200 lumen bulbs.  2200 is good for starting seeds but not for keeping full sun plants alive for a long term period.  Ideally you get them started and move them into a larger pot or in the ground in the space where they will do best.

Some seeds need warmth to germinate, some do not. Some do not need light either. Make sure to read about what plants you are growing so you know what combination of light, heat, etc. needed.  In this example we are starting vegetables-broccoli, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. They all need light and warmth.

I already discussed light but for warmth we use seedling heat mats.  You can find them at any hardware store that sells seed starting kits.  If you have a warm area in your house that may work as well, but make sure the seedlings are getting enough light or they will get leggy.  We like to use the artificial light and heat mats for consistency and you can start a lot of things in one place.

You will also need a medium into which you will place the seeds. We use two different types. The first are spongy plugs the other are jiffy pots with seed starting mix.  There are also peat pellets available in most hardware stores and those are fine too.

With the plugs, you will need to soak them in water first and then place them into cell pack trays.  From there you just place the seeds into the holes in the center of the plugs.  Make sure that the seeds are in contact with the growing medium or they may not germinate since the roots have nothing on which to latch.

 With the seed starting mix and jiffy pots, you will need to moisten the mix with water and distribute into the pots.  You then can place the seeds into the pots.

Place the trays in the condition needed for the seeds to germinate and place a cover over the tray to help keep the soil moist. It is very important for the seeds to stay moist in order to germinate and stay alive.  We mist the trays with water in a spray bottle daily.

 

We keep a chart of where each seed is planted since many seedlings look similar until their true leaves begin to form.
There is a little extra set up and initial investment but if you plan on starting seeds every year you won't have to buy everything each time.  Just make sure to sterilize your trays and other seed starting tools before reuse.

I will be updating the seedlings as they grow-it is a very satisfying project to see plants grow from a tiny seed to a full size plant!

Seed Starting

We are starting to sort out seeds so they can be started in a somewhat organized manner. Some need longer times to germinate, some need different methods, some we can just direct sow (in the ground) after the chance for a frost has passed. I anticipate starting some lettuce, other greens, and radishes outside in a week or two, they will need some protection but I think they should be ok.  I plan on taking more pictures as we go through the process of starting seeds indoors.  We are going to start tomatoes, eggplant and peppers for sure-very soon. Along with lots of herbs and other flowers and interesting shrubs and trees.

For now, here is where we begin!